Kaval's Kickoff: Team performance and new stadium updates

It would be easy to write some clichés about the match this past weekend that would put a positive spin on a disappointing display of soccer. I am not going to insult our fans by doing that. I am also not going to belabor how we got to this point of the season. The simple fact is that the results are not good enough. We have to do better. We are the defending Supporters’ Shield Champion and a club with a storied history, and we are stuck near the bottom of the table. That is unacceptable.

We have an opportunity in the transfer window to make changes that can not only bring in additional talent but also evaluate our tactics in order to field a club that can compete for an MLS Cup Championship. We also have some huge CONCACAF Champions League matches in the second half of the season, and we do not want to get bounced out of that prestigious tournament in the same way we were shown the door of the US Open Cup this past weekend in Charleston. There is rarely one silver bullet in these situations that solve all the problems. It will take the collective efforts of our player acquisition team, coaching, management, and of course our players to work together to get the team back on track.

I know it is frustrating to see the club perform this way especially after the joy of last season. All I can ask for is your trust as we develop and execute our plan. In 2011, we faced similar hardship on the pitch. We responded with some key player acquisitions and a new style of attacking soccer that gave us only oursecond Supporters’ Shield Championship in franchise history. We have our work cut out for us. But I am confident that we will make the necessary changes to get us back to our winning ways.

In more positive news, there has been a ton of activity at the new stadium site. They are removing the deep foundations from the old FMC site. You have to check out these amazing photos of the excavators and our construction team digging up and crushing the deep foundations. The site evidently had a bunch of vaults and even sub-basements that we have had to remove so we can put our foundation in place. It would be cool if anyone who had a connection to the old FMC plant could contact me. We are compiling a history of the site and I want to collect not only photos, but also an oral history of some of the unique aspects of the FMC era. Folks can contact me at President@sjearthquakes.com or via Twitter at @QuakesPrez.

Finally, we have a great Fireworks Four-Pack back for the Stanford match on June 29 against the LA Galaxy. There are a limited number of four upper corner seats for $20 each - perfect for families who want to catch the sporting event of the summer and the biggest fireworks show in the Bay Area. It will be once again an amazing day at Stanford, and I look forward to seeing everyone there for a great afternoon and evening of Quakes soccer.